Canadian exports rose by 1.0 per cent in October led by a stunning increase in agricultural exports. The combination of this year's bumper harvest with high global food prices was expected to yield significant gains, but many analysts were surprised by the extent of the rise in international sales.

While Harper is cutting funds to scientific research, the government doesn't actually understand how it works. Science should feed into policy discussions, but in and of itself science cannot and should not dictate what policy directions should be taken.